'The wrong track'

Editorial: Stem cell dollars flow

California's stem cell research institute has received little attention of late, and agency officials probably prefer it that way. But while the media have been off covering sex scandals involving mayors and astronauts, the Institute for Regenerative Medicine has been quietly preparing, for the first time in its two-year history, to dispense millions of public dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

The institute's oversight committee will meet in San Francisco this week to decide on roughly $24 million in grants for new stem cell researchers. While that may be pocket change compared with the $3 billion that voters authorized when they endorsed Proposition 71 in 2004, this initial research funding is historic, and other grants totaling about $100 million will soon follow this year.

Taxpayers curious about how their money will be spent can go to the institute's Web site -- www.cirm.ca.gov/publicsummaries/PublicList.html -- to see the 30 scientific proposals recommended for funding. The site also includes

'Sanctity of life?'

What exactly is "sanctity of life"? This term is frequently bandied about by those who venerate embryonic stem cell "life" and advocate responsible stewardship of God's earth, in conjunction with condemnation of the "pill," abortion, capital punishment and euthanasia; to be oft followed by endorsement of annihilation of real or perceived enemies, "collateral" damage, homophobia, xenophobia, exploitation of workers, slaughter of animals, environmental pillage and dogmatism that thwarts intellectual development (the brain is a "living" organ!). Sanctity of life?

Paula Ann Costis Fresno

Disgraced cloning expert convicted in South Korea

A South Korean stem cell scientist once hailed as a hero for bringing hope to people with incurable diseases and creating the world's first cloned dog was convicted Monday on criminal charges related to faked research, but avoided jail.

The Seoul Central District Court sentenced Hwang Woo-suk to two years in prison for embezzling research funds and illegally buying human eggs. However, it suspended the penalty, allowing him to stay free if he breaks no laws for three years.

Prosecutors had asked for four years in prison, but Judge Bae Ki-yeol said the 56-year-old scientist had shown remorse and had notable achievements in dog cloning.

'District deserves better'

Pete Mehas wrote Oct. 24 that he "respects The Bee's right to be wrong" about a recent candidate endorsement. This is the same Pete Mehas who just held a TV news conference to reverse his own school board endorsements. He apparently needs to do better research.

The Bee, after doing interviews and research, provided a laundry list of reasons why voters should send TJ Cox to Congress instead of George Radanovich.

Mehas praised the "quiet leadership" of the career politician. It's so quiet that no one, after 12 years, knows what the incumbent does. Reps. Jim Costa and Devin Nunes have done twice as much in less than half the time.

New gene therapy halts 2 boys' rare brain disease

French scientists mixed gene therapy and bone marrow transplants in two boys to seemingly halt a brain disease that can kill by adolescence. The surprise ingredient: They disabled the HIV virus so it couldn't cause AIDS, and then used it to carry in the healthy new gene.

The experiment marks the first time researchers have tried that long-contemplated step in people - and the first effective gene therapy against a severe brain disease, said lead researcher Dr. Patrick Aubourg of the University Paris-Descartes.

Although it's a small, first-step study, it has "exciting implications" for other blood and immune disorders that had been feared beyond gene therapy's reach, said Dr. Kenneth Cornetta, president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy.